In Another Setback, European Parliament Drafts Anti-CAA Motion Fearing ‘Largest Stateless Crisis In The World’

In what could possibly damage India’s secular image internationally, theEuropean Parliament is scheduled to consider a motion next week that terms CAAas a law that may lead to the?"largest statelessness crisis in theworld and cause widespread human suffering”.

The motion, European Parliament resolution on India’sCitizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, has been drafted by 154 MPs and is scheduledto be tabled during the plenary session of Parliament in?Brussels next week.

Noting that the CAA “sets a dangerous precedent and represents anintensification of the Government’s Hindu nationalist agenda” the motionunderlines that “the indivisibility of human rights, including civil,political, economic, social and cultural rights, is one of the main objectivesof the European Union in its relations with India.”

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It outlines that the CAA is, therefore, “explicitly discriminatory innature as it specifically excludes Muslims from access to the same provisionsas other religious groups.”

The motion also points to the fact that other Indian communities thathave been facing persecution in their home countries, such as the Sri LankanTamils, who form the largest refugee group in India and have been resident inthe country for over 30 year, do not fall under the purview of CAA.

“Whereas the CAA also excludes Rohingya Muslims from Burma, who have beendescribed by Amnesty International and the United Nations as the world’s mostpersecuted minority; whereas the CAA also ignores the plight of Ahmadis inPakistan, Bihari Muslims in Bangladesh and Hazaras in Pakistan, all of whom aresubject to persecution in their home countries,” it adds.

India is witnessing a massive wave of protests from across all parts ofthe country, with children, students, activists, citizens coming together to protestthe contentious legislation and terming it as “unconstitutional”.

However, despite widespread protests, some of which even turned violentand have led to the death of close to 30 people over the last two months instates such as Uttar Pradesh, Home Minister Amit Shah has asserted that thelegislation will not be rolled back at any cost.